by Tamar Sloan
By going back along the fabric of the Loom and removing Hades each time he appears.
I wait, hand woven tightly with Kadence’s, for Hades to accept the truth.
His black eyes slowly, steadily lose their light. It’s like a backdraft, air sucking in, everything multiplying and building…
The explosion is more violent than I expected. A wave of fury rolls through Hades, starting low, then flowing up, contracting muscles, cording tendons, saturating him in rage. He throws his head back, spewing it to the gray sky.
The sound is thrown into the mist around us, vibrating each droplet, making me wonder if they can shatter.
When Hades drops his head and returns his gaze to us, I tense. His eyes are the same black they’ve always been, but now they’re dead with hate. Lifeless in color, but still moving with the power of a god, they’re terrifying.
But the fear doesn’t move me. Kadence and I are a united front of light against the dark.
The child of fate and the child of time have fallen in love.
Even the god of death can’t overcome that.
The knowledge pounds through me, giving me the courage to say one last thing. There is one last wrong that needs to be made right. “And send your demigod children to Elysium.”
With a breath that expands his entire body, Hades straightens. Jaw twitching, he takes a step back. “I won’t need them for what happens next.”
Kadence tenses just as I do. She’s wondering what in the hell that means. We release each other’s hand simultaneously, planting our feet into the hard soil. It’s an unspoken agreement we’re not backing down.
Hades raises his hands, his arms spreading like a falcon. A gust of wind slams into us, throwing Kadence’s golden hair against her like a whip. A soundless roar builds up from the ground beneath us.
I wrap my arms tightly around Kadence, for once not knowing what’s coming, but secure in the knowledge we did this right. Love pulses between us, and I hope it’s enough to shield us from Hades’ wrath.
The mist around us begins to dissolve. It’s like a veil is being lifted. My breath freezes in my lungs. I’m not sure I want to know what’s on the other side.
But just as the space around us expands, a blast of light explodes. Light rains down on us, forcing Kadence and I to curl into each other under the blazing torrent. It’s blinding in its intensity, almost burning in its ferocity.
But then there’s movement, like currents of wind flashing past. I blink against the brightness, trying to understand what’s happening.
Kadence is looking up at me, wonder widening her eyes. “Micah. It’s the souls.”
She’s right.
Pulses of gold like shooting stars come from the Crossroads and slice around us. I can’t feel anything, and yet I can feel everything.
There’s elation and excitement and an overwhelming sense of freedom. There’s the purity of hope, the sureness of faith.
And there’s the amazing girl in my arms. We hold onto each other as soul after soul streaks past, off to find the body they were stolen from. We’re both smiling, both awestruck.
The tidal wave abates with the same suddenness it began, leaving behind a new silence. A stillness that holds far more than it did before.
Kadence and I look around, trying to process what we just witnessed.
The Crossroads is empty. Hades is gone.
The souls have returned.
Kadence shakes her head in wonder. “You did it.”
I cup her face. “We did it.”
I lean down until her beautiful features dominate my vision. This girl is what fills my world, feeds my soul. “It was my destiny to love you, Kadence.”
Kadence looked full of joy before, but now, she’s flooded with it. Pushing up on her tiptoes, she brushes her lips against mine. It’s the lightest of caresses, but like the butterfly effect, it amplifies until it’s a tsunami soaring through me.
“And I love you, Micah. Forever.”
Kadence
As I amble through the gates of Elysium, I pull in a deep breath. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the beauty of this place, but I’m okay with that. It means the same feeling of delight skips through me each and every time I arrive.
And that’s been quite a lot over the past few weeks.
Learning about the place Micah grew up has been fascinating. And I’m not just talking about the plants that I’ll never want to stop discovering. There’s Edward with his sharp intelligence. Victor with his gentle perceptiveness. Both wise in their own ways. Both so full of love for Micah.
Micah.
My heart feels like it’s permanently filled with helium. It’s been days and days of love and fun and more love. Eating hotdogs, drinking every flavor of milkshake imaginable. Nights full of stargazing and sweet kisses and hotter touches.
Excitement has me picking up the pace. Tonight, I introduce Micah to another of Earth’s joys.
My mind is so full of Micah and reaching the cottage, as I round the bend, I don’t see the woman coming the other way until I crash straight into her.
I jerk back as two arms reach out to grab me. “I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”
My mouth is already open to politely thank the woman and keep going, when I raise my gaze to her face.
And stop.
Memories assault me, coming at me with the speed of a machine gun.
“Drop the gun or I’ll shoot!”
Me stopping time. Pushing my mother out of the way.
The shattering sound of a single gunshot.
My mother bleeding out in my arms. Aunt Jo screaming, asking where her sister was.
“Kadence…” Her voice. I’d forgotten how she sounded.
But her face, it’s just like I remembered. Beautiful. Pale-skinned and red-lipped. Overflowing with love.
“Mom.”
I choke out the word I never thought I’d say again.
“Oh, sweetheart. I’ve been waiting for this day for a very long time.”
I don’t feel myself move, but I’m in her arms before I find the ability to breathe again. I draw in her scent, so familiar despite the years, as I bury my face in the crook of her neck. My mother. The woman who loved me more than I could ever love myself.
The woman I tried to save and couldn’t.
Mom holds me tighter than I’ve ever been held. I hold her like I’ve just found the missing piece of the puzzle I didn’t know I could fix. Tears flood down my cheeks, wetting the both of us. They seem to stem from somewhere deep in my chest.
Mom pulls back, her hand stroking my hair as she studies my face. Her own tears track down her cheeks. “Oh, Kadence. You’re even more beautiful in the flesh.”
I wipe away the wetness on my face, my hands returning to her shoulders making sure she’s real. The warmth of her skin, the strength of her smile are undeniable. My mother is here, in Elysium.
“You’ve been watching me, haven’t you?”
She nods. “Every day. Hurting with you. Laughing with you.” She strokes my cheek. “Believing in you.”
I blink rapidly, feeling more tears join the ocean I’ve already cried. “Mom…”
She smiles as we both cherish the power of being able to say that one word. I’ve just closed a door on something I thought would forever be open.
“I was wondering where you were.”
Micah’s warm voice has me turning around, my heart already soaring. Our gazes meet and the world becomes brighter.
His signature grin greets us. “I see you’ve met Marie.”
We pull away, standing side by side and holding hands, like we’re not quite ready to let go.
His eyes widen as he looks between the two of us. I inherited my pale blonde hair from my mom. “Marie is your mother?”
Of course Micah knows my mother. I nod, still feeling the wetness on my cheeks. “I literally just ran into her.”
Micah shakes his head ruefully. “Of course your mother would be at Elysium. And of course, she wou
ld be the sweet, beautiful Marie.”
“Good choice, daughter.” Mom’s eyes twinkle as she slides a glance my way.
Letting go of my mother is hard, but it’s made possible by the knowledge that time is no longer a factor in how long I have to spend with her. I step away so I can wrap my arm around the guy I love.
“The best I’ve ever made.”
I have to suppress my giggle when I see Micah’s blushing. I didn’t think I could be any happier until this moment.
He clears his throat. “Did you want to stay here? I’m sure you have a lot to catch up on.”
So tempting...
There’s so much to discuss. So much to understand and explain and atone.
I grip Micah’s hand. “I’d really love to but we need to get back to Pontiac Point.” There’s an appointment we can afford to miss. I reassure myself that Elysium, and now my mother, are an undeniable part of my future.
Mom’s face brightens even more. “And now I’m looking forward to seeing your father.”
I pause, realizing something. Mom’s been here in Elysium the whole time. Which mean, Mom and Dad could’ve been together since the moment she died. “You haven’t seen him?”
Mom shakes her head. “I made the decision to remain separate until you learned I was here. It was so hard, not being able to tell you I was okay. But my death would’ve been for nothing if Kronos let it slip that I was here. I’m so sorry, Kadence. Your responsibility was great, and so was your burden.”
I let her words seep into my consciousness. I lived with the guilt of my mother’s death for almost half my life.
And now I’ve discovered another secret that was kept from me, just like Micah did with his mother. Being the children of these gods has meant a whole lot of pain.
But I never would’ve found Micah.
We wouldn’t have discovered Hades, or stopped him.
And Kronos and Moira have both lived without love in their lives this whole time, too.
I tip up a smile at my mother. “Then what are you waiting for? That’s going to be one heck of reunion!”
This time Mom’s hug is gentler. It’s full of sweet happiness and tender gratitude. “I love you, Kadence.”
A lump forms in my throat. “I love you too, Mom.”
And I get to say words to my mother I never thought I’d be able to again.
She steps away and down the path. “Oh, and dear? Be careful with the language.”
With a cheeky smile, she disappears around the bend.
Micah looks at me. “Wow.”
“Yeah,” I breathe. “Didn’t see that coming.”
“Are you okay?”
I take in his blue eyes, so full of compassion, and my soul feels like it’s glowing with happiness. “I think I’m more than okay.” I grab his hand, wishing again there was time to revel in this moment.
But I’ve discovered something. Our life isn’t measured in minutes or hours or days. It’s measured in laughter and and purpose and love, and I have a whole lot of that to look forward to.
We’ve rounded the bend and are standing beneath the gates when we stop like we always do. Coming face-to-face, I willingly lose myself in Mediterranean pools full of love. I’m never sure if this kiss is a goodbye to Elysium, or a hello to our new life on Earth, but I decided it doesn’t really matter. It could be both.
It could be neither.
It might just be an excuse to do what we never seem to tire of.
Our lips touch, brush, caress. Our bodies mold together, like they were sculpted to be two halves of a whole. Micah groans. I increase the pressure. We quickly dive headlong into desire.
The cat whistle is what has us separating.
When we pull back, we’re both panting, smiling ruefully.
“You guys are slow learners. Elysium isn’t known for its privacy.” Thomas is grinning as he stands on the other side of the gates, arms akimbo on his hips.
Micah grins at him. “Luckily we don’t have anything to hide.”
The joy in Micah’s voice at being able to say those words is unmistakable. I squeeze his hand, wrapping myself around his arm.
“Damn straight, you don’t.” Thomas grins back.
Tanisha appears by his side. “Thomas! We’ve talked about that sort of language.”
He nudges her playfully with his shoulder. “What about yesterday, when Heath—”
Tanisha claps her hand over his mouth. “That was different, and you know it. That guy would test the patience of Victor. Now, leave these two alone.”
Resting my head against Micah’s shoulder, I smile as my heart clenches at their banter as Tanisha drags Thomas away. It was inevitable these two would become fast friends, possibly more. The surprise was when they decided to take Hades’ demigod children under their wings.
Heath has adapted the most easily, although that hasn’t stopped him from disappearing periodically and sparking day-long searches. Hiroko has withdrawn, her silence a protective armor. I suspect seeing the happiness of Elysium and knowing she potentially deprived souls of accessing it will take time to acknowledge.
Then there’s Nevaeh. Her treachery has been the hardest to come to terms with. It’s not surprising she’s the one who has resisted Elysium the most. Hades took the most from her by stopping her from being able to use her powers, leaving her to live a life of poverty. She also had to befriend someone knowing her sole aim was to betray them.
I look up to find Micah gazing down on me, still and concerned. “Everything okay?”
Tucking my head in, I hold him tight. Micah was the one who helped me realize the power of my own gifts.
Time. The power to give it, or the power to take it. Yes, time has the power to hurt, but it’s the one thing that provides the chance to heal.
Micah’s discovering this himself as he rebuilds his relationship with his mother.
“Everything is just the way it’s supposed to be.” I look up. “I have you.”
He smiles, his eyes soft. “Do you know what’s even better?” He brushes a kiss over my nose. “I have you.”
Everything in me expands. My smile. My heart. My love for this sweet, amazing, wise boy. “Ready?”
Micah nods. “It’s your turn?”
I smile. I feel like I can face anything when I’m with Micah. “I do believe it is.”
Kadence
Teleporting is second nature by now. Our lips touch, the world disappears, only to return a second later. The sounds, smells, and sights of Pontiac Point become our new reality.
Micah’s lips twitch. “Some days I wish it took a little longer.”
I giggle. “Maybe we need to find somewhere else to teleport.”
Micah’s eyes heat in a way that’s fast becoming familiar. “Somewhere private.”
My body temperature climbs as I lean into him. “Yes.”
Clanging, then cursing on the other side of the wall has us both startling.
The small room we’re standing in is nothing more than a transportable building. Although the walls offer protection for teleporting, they’re far from soundproof.
“I’ll find somewhere.” Micah mutters as he turns to take the two steps to the door.
I suppress a smile. With access to all the Crossroads around the world, I have no doubt he will.
Micah jerks to a halt as he almost crashes into a desk. We pause to look around. The square space has been outfitted as an office. Desk, chair, shelves, even a phone. All in cool, neutral tones.
Micah’s silent and I’m pretty sure “What the…” are two words echoing through his mind right now.
The memory of Micah asking his father to build something like this still has my heart clenching. Micah, so awkward. Damien, so happy to be able to give his son something, anything.
Micah stuttering his thanks. “Thanks…Dad.”
Damien trying to hide his surprise, trying to act like he wasn’t just given a gift he’d been longing to hear, and being entirely unsuccess
ful.
“Sure, son.”
I tug Micah to the door, figuring we may as well take this in stride. “Damien sure is a man of action,” I chirp brightly.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see even more development since we left. Damien seems to have fast-tracked this health center even more than the others. Except this time, it’s not to find his son. It’s to be with him.
Someone jumps back in surprise as I push the door open, another curse puncturing the air.
Dan flushes. “Ah, sorry, Kadence.” He dusts off his shirt, taking extra care over the logo—Dan’s Design and Engineering. It turns out he does more than demolition.
I roll my eyes. “I’ve heard worse from my neighbors, Dan.”
He glances at Micah. “Sir.”
Micah opens his mouth to object to the title for the hundredth time, but Dan grins at him. “Gets you every time, Micah.”
Micah shakes his head. Being the son of a multimillionaire like Damien Black is going to take some adjustment in more ways than one.
We step outside and I close the door.
Dan steps back, puffing his chest out in pride. “What do you think?”
Holy heck. Dan was installing a sign on the door of the little cube-like building. Neat black letters now sit squarely in the center: Office of Micah Black.
“Office?” Micah says in surprise.
I angle my head. “I think it looks good.”
Dan agrees before ambling off, shouting something across the lot about needing more concrete.
Micah’s still staring at the sign on the door. He’s shown an interest in the health centers, which is probably what Damien’s jumped on. In part, because of the damage they wreaked. Micah’s sense of responsibility means he wants to ensure something like that can’t happen again.
Not to mention, no one believes Hades has given up.
But I don’t think Micah’s admitted that something else draws him to them—the chance to help others.
And the chance to get to know his father.
Micah blinks a few times. “I think it might take some getting used to.”
I nod. “Talk to him about it.”
Damien’s eagerness would have to be overwhelming. This is what he’s been looking forward to since discovering he was a father. Micah, on the other hand, is still learning to be part of this world, let alone be part of a family he didn’t know was waiting for him with open arms.
